Shower head additive dispenser

ABSTRACT

A centrally bored tubular member having its opposite ends respectively connected to a shower head and its inlet water pipe for passage of the shower water through the bore. The bore is formed in three portions, namely, a large diameter inlet portion and a smaller diameter outlet portion connected together by an even smaller diameter central portion to thereby form an annular shoulder located centrally within the tubular member. A pair of short diversion tubes are connected to the member on opposite sides of the shoulder, with one tube opening into the inlet bore portion and the other tube opening into the outlet bore portion. The tubes extend downwardly and are connected to and opened through a container cover to which a depending container is removably attached. A control valve positioned within the tube which is connected to the bore inlet portion controls the flow of water therethrough. Thus, part of the water flowing through the bore may be diverted through the container to pick up bath oils and the like additives for dispensing same through the shower head.

United States Patent 11 1- Lemond 5] Nov. 112., 1974 SHOWER HEAD ADDllTlVE DISPENSER [57] ABSTRACT 76 Inventor; R b t H L d, R N 1 B A centrally bored tubular member having its opposite 9 Ellsworth Mich. 49729 ends respectively connected to a shower head and its I inlet water pipe for passage of the shower water [22] Fllcd: Sept 1973 through the bore. The bore is formed in three por- 21 Appl 399 102 tions, namely, a large diameter inlet portion and a smaller diameter outlet portion connected together by 52 us. c1 239/317, 239/318, 239/365 an even smaller diameter Central portion to thereby 51 Int. Cl B05b 7/32 form an annular Shoulder located Centrally within the 53 Field f Search 239 310 317 31 3 5 tubular member. A pair of short diversion tubes are 239 3 3 7; 137 523 599 connected to the member on opposite sides of the shoulder, with one tube opening into the inlet bore i 1 References (:lted portion and the other tube opening into the outlet UNITED STATES PATENTS bore portion. The tubes extend downwardly and are 956,101 4/1910 Inglis 239 317 Connected to and Opened through a Container Cover to 2215300 9/1940 lsenberg 239/310X which a depending container is removably attached. A 2,536,361 1/1951 Flanders 239/317 X control valve positioned within the tube which is con- 3.161114 1/1965 G rett 1 1 i 23 /317 X nected to the bore inlet portion controls the flow of 3,194,444 7/1965 Hubert 239/310 X water therethrough. Thus, part of the water flowing 312071445 9/l965 Courtelfllw 239/310 X through the bore may be diverted through the con- 3,42l,738 1/1969 Dulger 239/3l7 X Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-John J. Love Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cullen, Settle, Sloman & Cantor tainer to pick up bath oils and the like additives for dispensingsame through the shower head.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing; Figures l SHOWER HEAD ADDITIVE DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF INVENTION devices, separate from the shower itself have been uti- FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrows 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a control valve, shown schematically.

F [G5 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the parts in disassembled form.

lized in the past, as wellas the manual means of simply pouring oils froma bottle, but these have not been entirely satisfactory.

Thus, the invention herein is concerned with a dispenser which is permanently mounted between the water inlet pipe and the shower head and which can be used, when desired, to mix into the shower water controlled amounts of bath oils and other additives for application to the users body during the time of showermg.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention herein relates to a fixture in the form of a bored tube connected at its opposite ends to the shower water inlet pipe and the conventional shower head, respectively, to which is mounted a container for carrying bath oils and similar additives, such as soap, etc., with a meansfor'feeding measured amounts of such additives into the water passing through the shower head. Thetube is centrally bored from its opposite ends with the inlet bore being larger than the outlet bore and with the tube bore portions separated by an annular shoulder located interiorly of and centrally of the tube. Small, short dispenser. tubes connect to the main fixture tube on opposite sides of the shoulder and extend downwardly therefrom for connection to a bot tle cap to which a conventional bottle or jar may be removably fastened. A control valve is provided to control the amount of water diverted from the inlet portion of the bore into and through the jar so that such diverted water may pick up bath oil or other additives contained withinthe jar and carry them back into the tube on the outlet side of the shoulder for mixing with the main flow of water going to the shower head. This construction thus provides a simplified system, with only a few relatively inexpensive parts, for dispensing a controlled quantity of additive into the shower water. The inner annular shoulder and the inlet and outlet bore portions are configured to provide a mixing action for thoroughly dispersing the additive within the main flow of shower water, regardless-of the quantity of additive injected into the main flow.

These and other objects and advantages of this inven tion will become apparent upon reading the following description, of which the attached drawings form a part.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. l is anelevational view of the additive dispenser connected between a shower water inlet pipe and a conventional shower head.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectionalview of the dispenser, with the container or jarv omitted.-

DETAILED DESCTIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates the additive dispenser, generally designated 10 connected at itsopposite ends between a shower water inlet pipe 11, typically found in a bathroom shower installation, and a conventional shower head 12 whose form is not relevant to the invention hereof. The dispenser comprises a centrally bored tubular body member 14. The bore is formed as an inlet bore portion 15 and an outlet bore portion 16 of the smaller diameter, separated by an integral annular shoulder 17 having a small central opening or bore portion"18 communicating the inlet bore with the outlet bore. The face of the annular shoulder located at the bottom end of the inlet bore is tapered or sloped in the form of a truncated conical shape 19.

An outlet diversion tube 25 and an inlet diversion tube 26 extend vertically downward from the body member l4,'withthe outlet diversion tube opening into the body inlet bore portion 15 closely adjacent to the large base of the truncated conical face 19. The inlet diversion tube 26 opens intothe outlet bore portion 16, closely adjacent to the annular shoulder 17. Thus, the diversion tube openings are on opposite sides of the shoulder. r r

The outlet diversion tube 25 is provided with a control valve 27 of any suitable, conventional configuration. FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a suitable valve 27 which is formed of a threaded upper end 28 for threadedly engaging within the lower end of the diversion tube 25, a valve body 29 containing a rotor 30, having a through passage 31, mounted upon the end of a control stem 32 which is operated bya control handle 33 of suitable shape. Partial rotation of the stem 32 by moving the handle 33, aligns the through passage 31 with'the drilled openings extending through the upper threaded end 28 and a lower threaded end 34 for passage of water therethrough. The amount of water passing therethrough may be controlled by adjusting the position of the through passage 31, e.g., from full off through various stages of water passage to full on.

The lower end 34 of the valve is fitted through a hole 35 formed in a container cover or cap 36 and may be secured thereto either by appropriate welding or soldering or brazing or by applying a nut (not shown) to the free endof the threaded end 34.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the diversion tube 26 extends through a hole 37 formed in the container cap 36. Thus, the outlet diversion tube 26 extends a short distance beneath the cap 36 (see FIG. 1). The inlet diversion tube 26' is likewise secured to the container cap by suitable fastening.

Removably secured to the cap isa suitable bottle or jar 40, illustrated as being in the fonn of a conventional glass jar, containing an additive 4-1 such as a conventional bath oil or other similar chemical or a liquified soap.

In operation, when the shower is turned on, water coming from the water inlet pipe 11 passes through the body member 14, that is, through tghe inlet bore portion 15, central opening 18 and out through the outlet .bore portion 16, and then out through the shower head 12. During this time, the control valve handle 33 is positioned so as to maintain valve 27 in its closed conditron.

When the user wishes to apply the additive through the shower water, the handle 33 is rotated sufficiently to permit water to divert downwardly through the outlet diversion tube 25 and valve 27 and into the container 40 where the water mixes with the contents 41. Then the water additive mixture flows through the outlet diversion tube.26 and into the outlet bore 16 to mix with the main flow of water passing therethrough. The configuration of the bores nd 16 and annular shoulder 17 with its sloped face 19, causes sufficient turbulence and movement of the water to provide a thorough dispersion of the additive in the main stream of the water flowing through the dispenser. Thus, the sloped shoulder wall 19 tends to change the rate of flow and pressure of the water flowing through the body member 14, to increase the movement of the diverted water,

through the container and the mixing of the additivewater mixture coming from the container into the main stream of water in the outlet portion 16.

The solid arrows drawn in FIG. 2, show the movement of the diverted water and the water-additive mixture, and the broken arrowsshow the movement of the 'main body of water through the body member 14.

To install the device, the homeowner merely unthreads the shower head from the end of the water inlet pipe which projects through the wall of the shower. Then he threadedly engages the tube 14 upon the end s of the pipe 11, and the shower head upon the opposite threaded end 22 of the tube 14. Thereafter, the filled jar 40 is threadedly'connected to the cap 36 and the device is ready for use.

said bore being formed as an inlet portion and an outlet portion separated by a short, annular shoulder located roughly at the middle of the tubular member and with a small diameter opening forming the inner wall of the annular shoulder and connecting the inlet and outlet bore portions;

the central axis of said body member being arranged at an acute angle to the vertical, that is, sloped so that the outlet bore portion slopes and opens downwardly toward the shower head;

the shoulder having a transverse face at the inlet bore side thereof formed in an approximately truncated conical shape, with the small base thereof defining the edge of said small diameter opening,

the shoulder having a, planar transverse face at the outlet bore side thereof;

a short inlet diversion tube, and a short outlet diversion tube, each having an upperend joined to the body member and opening into the bore therein, with the tubes being vertically arranged and located at opposite sides of the shoulder and opening into the bore closely adjacent to the opposite sides of the shoulder and at an acute angle to the bore axis with said outlet tube opening directed toward the planar shoulder face;

and each tube having a lower end connected to a cap *to which a container is removably fastened, with the lower ends of the two tubes thus communicating with the interior of the container;

and amanually operable control valvelocated within the tube which opens into the inlet bore portion for controlling the flow of water out of the inlet bore portion and into the container;

whereby bath oils and the like additives may be placed within the container and a controlled part of the water flowing through said body member may be diverted through the container, i.e., around the shoulder and back into the outlet bore portion, to pick up said additive and dispense same mixed with the water flowing through the shower head during operation of the shower.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, and said inlet bore portion being of a larger diameter than said outlet bore portion. 

1. A shower head additive dispenser comprising an elongated, centrally bored tubular body member having an inlet end for connection to a shower water inlet pipe and an outlet end for connection to a shower head, so that water from the inlet tube to the shower head passes through the bore in the member; said bore being formed as an inlet portion and an outlet portion separated by a short, annular shoulder located roughly at the middle of the tubular member and with a small diameter opening forming the inner wall of the annular shoulder and connecting the inlet and outlet bore portions; the central axis of said body member being arranged at an acute angle to the vertical, that is, sloped so that the outlet bore portion slopes and opens downwardly toward the shower head; the shoulder having a transverse face at the inlet bore side thereof formed in an approximately truncated conical shape, with the small base thereof defining the edge of said small diameter opening, the shoulder having a planar transverse face at the outlet bore side thereof; a short inlet diversion tube, and a short outlet diversion tube, each having an upper end joined to the body member and opening into the bore therein, with the tubes being vertically arranged and located at opposite sides of the shoulder and opening into the bore closely adjacent to the opposite sides of the shoulder and at an acute angle to the bore axis with said outlet tube opening directed toward the planar shoulder face; and each tube having a lower end connected to a cap to which a container is removably fastened, with the lower ends of the two tubes thus communicating with the interior of the container; and a manually operable control valve located within the tube which opens into the inlet bore portion for controlling the flow of water out of the inlet bore portion and into the container; whereby bath oils and the like additives may be placed within the Container and a controlled part of the water flowing through said body member may be diverted through the container, i.e., around the shoulder and back into the outlet bore portion, to pick up said additive and dispense same mixed with the water flowing through the shower head during operation of the shower.
 2. A construction as defined in claim 1, and said inlet bore portion being of a larger diameter than said outlet bore portion. 